Wednesday, May 25, 2016

"Unleashed in the East" is a real oldie along Hard Rock/Heavy Metal live albums.

JUDAS PRIEST is the gods behind this live recording where they performed in Japan during the Hell Bent for Leather Tour in 1979. It was released in September 1979 and became the band's best-selling album up to that point and this was before "British Steel," so don't be disappointed because they didn't
play "Painkiller" or "Freewheel Burning." Just nothing but the classics from the old time.

"Unleashed in the East" includes tunes like "The Green Manalishi", "Victim Of Changes", "Tyrant", "Hell Bent For Leather", "The Ripper" and "Running Wild".

To what extent the album was really live remains a matter of contention, with the album sometimes being called Unleashed in the Studio. Years later, after he had left Priest, Rob Halford noted in various interviews that the music was indeed live, but that his vocals had been ruined in the original recording and were later dubbed in a concert-like studio setting.

This live-record contains some of the best-ever-released versions of Judas Priest's 70's songs. The quality, especially of the remastered version, is very good, specially if you compare it to other live recordings from the same time period.

Released in Japan as "Priest in the East", where it featured four bonus
tracks, these recordings included thrilling early speed-metal templates
like “Exciter” and “Running Wild” (which forecasted the imminent New
Wave of British Heavy Metal), reinvigorated romps through early career
warhorses such as the serpentine “Sinner,” the morbid “Genocide” and
their signature anthem “Victim of Changes.” The band’s covers
FLEETWOOD MACs “Green Manalishi” and Joan Baez’s “Diamonds and Rust”
were wisely chosen and reminded fans of the JUDAS PRIESTs eclectic
influences.

Sum: If you dig JUDAS PRIEST you should definitely add this to your collection! This album is a true proof that the 70's rock!

Today's tune "Victim of Changes" is featured on their 1976 studio album "Sad Wings of Destiny". The song was composed by fusing two earlier songs. The main part of the song, including the riffs, came from "Whisky Woman," which was written in 1972 while original Priest singer Al Atkins was still in the band. The softer passage, building up tension for the climaxing ending of the song, came from a song singer Rob Halford had written called "Red Light Lady." K.K. Downing, Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford and Al Atkins are all credited for writing the song.

The song is known for its unusual intro, with Tipton and Downing playing a twin guitar harmony which slowly fades in, then ends in the main riff. In early writing stages, the intro was different, and similar to the intro that would be used for an unreleased Priest song called "Mother Sun."

The song opens with a fade-in dual guitar passage that flows into the song's main riffs. A linear pattern is followed until the staccato section in the bridge. The song's first main guitar solo follows afterward, played by K. K. Downing. The bridge section finishes and goes into a lighter, more mellow section that soon intensifies. The second solo, played by Glenn Tipton, comes during the heavy section. The song returns to the main riff and finishes with Rob Halford's banshee-like screams. The lyrics are about a failing relationship due to a woman's alcoholism. The song is written in the key of E Minor.

The song's lyrics have been debated by Priest fans. The song seems to focus on a woman who is past her prime, which leads her to drown her sorrows in alcohol when she can't find a man anymore. At first glance, she might seem like the "Victim of Changes," but later in the song, the "I" of the lyrics (a man speaking to the woman) reveals a certain affection for her, and a dissatisfaction because he's lost her and he can't have her back, making him the victim. This has never been cleared up.

This song strongly added to Rob Halford's reputation as the "Metal God," as his singing and especially screaming has become legendary and largely influential. When Tim "Ripper" Owens auditioned to be Rob's replacement in 1996, they had him sing over a live version of the song with the vocals taken out. Said Owens: "I sang the very first line of 'Victim of Changes,' and Glenn (Tipton) said, 'Alright Owens, you've got the gig!" (Thanks to Michael Toney, who interviewed Owens for the book Tales From The Stage.)
Various bands have covered this song, including the German Power Metal band Gamma Ray. (thanks, Jon - Sweden, for all above)

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